but they little suspected that themselves were of the number or those enemies whom He was to destroy; and that His kingdom was to be established upon the ruin of their state. Yet that was the true meaning of the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. For while the Jewish nation continued in Judea, and observed the institutions of Moses, they violently opposed the preaching of the Gospel, by which the Messiah was to reign over all people, nations, and languages. Wherefore, that the everlasting kingdom might be established effectually, it was necessary that Jerusalem and the Jewish state should be destroyed by the Roman armies. Now, since our Lord foretold this sad catastrophe in the words of the prophet Daniel, Matt. xxiv. 30, And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory and after describing every particular of it with the greatest exactness, seeing he told his disciples, ver. 34, This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled; can there be any doubt that the apostles (who, when they wrote their epistles, certainly understood the true import of this prophecy,) by their Master's coming and by the end of all things, which they represent as at hand, mean, his coming to destroy Jerusalem, and to put an end to the institutions of Moses? It is no objection to this, that when the apostles heard Christ declare, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down, they connected the end of the world or age with that event. Matt. xxiv. 3. Tell us when these things shall be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end

of the age? For as the Jewish doctors divide the uration of the world into three ages; the age beore the law, the age under the law, and the age under the Messiah; the apostles knew that the ge under the law was to end when the age under the Messiah began; and, therefore, by the end of the age, they meant, even at that time, not to the end of the world, but to the end of the age under the law, in which the Jews had been greatly oppressed by the heathens. And although they did not understand the purpose for which their Master was to come, nor the true nature of his kingdom, nor suspect that he was to make any change in the institutions of Moses; yet when they write their epistles, being illuminated by the Holy Ghost, they certainly knew that the institutions of Moses were to be abolished; and that their Master's kingdom was not a temporal but a spiritual dominion, in which all people, nations, and languages, were to be governed, not by external force, but by the operation of truth upon their minds, through the preaching of the Gospel.

Further, that the apostles, by the coming of Christ, which they represented as at hand when they wrote their epistles, meant His coming to establish His spiritual kingdom over all people, nations, and languages, and not his coming to put an end to this mundane system, is evident from what Christ himself told them, Matt. xvi. 28. There be some standing here, who shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom.' And agreeably to this account of the coming of Christ, and of the end of all things, I observe, that every passage of their epistles

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in which the apostles have spoken of these things as at hand, may, with the greatest propriety, be interpreted of Christ's coming to establish his everlasting kingdom over all people, nations, and languages, by destroying Jerusalem, putting an end to the law of Moses, and spreading the Gospel through the world. Thus, 1 Cor. x. 11. These thingsare written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages are come,' means the end of the age under the law, and the beginning of the age under the Messiah. Phil. iv. 5. 'Let your moderation be known to all men: the Lord is nigh:" namely, to destroy the Jews, your greatest adversaries. Heb. ix. 26. But now once, at the conclusion of the ages,' the Jewish Jubilees, hath been manifested to abolish sin offering, by the sacrifice of Himself.' Heb. x. 25. Exhorting one another daily; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching,' the day of Christ's coming to destroy Jerusalem and the Jewish state. Ver. 37. For yet a little while and He who is coming will come, and will not tarry.' James v. 7. Wherefore, be patient, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.' Ver. 8. Be ye also patient, strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord,' to destroy the Jews, your persecutors, draweth nigh.' Ver. 9. Behold the Judge standeth before the door.' 1 Pet. iv. 7. "The end of all things,' the end of Jerusalem, and of the temple, and of all the Mosaic institutions, 'hath approached. Be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.' 1 John ii. 18. Young children, it is the last hour' of the Jewish state; ' and as ye have heard' from Christ, in His prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, that 'anti

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christ cometh, so now there are many antichrists, whence we know that it is the last hour' of the Jewish state.

2.There is another coming of Christ spoken of by the apostles, different likewise from his coming to judge the world, and to put an end to the present state of things; viz. his coming to destroy the man of sin. 2 Thess. ii. 8. Him the Lord will consume by the breath of his mouth, and will render ineffectual by the bright shining of his coming.' This singular event, which will contribute greatly to the honor of God, and the good of his church, being accomplished by a visible and extraordinary interposition of the power of Christ in the government of the world, is agreeably to the Scripture style, fitly called 'the coming of the Lord;' and 'the bright shining of his coming;' but this coming is nowhere in the Scriptures said to be at hand.

3. "There is likewise a day, or coming of Christ, spoken of by Paul, different from His coming to judgment, and from both the former comings I mean His releasing His people from their present trial, by death. 1 Cor. i. 8. He also will confirm you unto the end, without accusation, in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Philip. i. 6. He who hath begun in you a good work will be completing it until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.' It is true, the release of Christ's servants from their present trial, by death, is accomplished, for the most part, by no extraordinary display of His power; yet it is fitly enough called His day and coming; because by His appointment all men die: and by His power each is carried to his own place after death. Be

sides, his servants in particular, being put on their duty, like soldiers, must remain at their several posts, till released by their commander; and when he releases them, He is fitly said to come for that purpose.

4. "Besides all these, there is a day or coming of the Lord to judge the world, and to put an end to the present state of things. This coming, Christ himself has promised. Matt. xvi. 27.

"The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his holy angels; and then shall he reward every man according to his work." Now, this being a real, personal appearing of Christ in the body, is more properly than any other of His comings called the day, and coming of Christ.— And the purpose of it being more important than those of His other comings, the exertions of His power, for accomplishing them will be most signal and glorions. Hence this coming is with great propriety, termed, the revelation of Jesus Christ,' and the day' of His revelation, when he shall be glorified in his saints, and admired of all them who believe.'"

With regard to a yet future day of judgment, it will be noticed, that the Doctor, though he has, for the sake of rescuing Christianity from an otherwise fatal objection, frankly given up all the passages which have been usually relied upon in support of the sentiment, still betrays his desire to save a piece from the wreck, for the subsistence of his sectarian opinion. This he attempts, in his remarks on the fourth' coming of Christ. In those remarks, we must say, he has evinced great inconsistency, not to say insincerity. We wish